Shock absorbing mechanism



Aug. 18, 1931. A. A. WILSON 1,819,855

SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Dec. 29, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 vehfor: v

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40 of the same. Fig.3 IS a view in section sure controlling device;

latented Aug. 18, 1931 p v v 4 r l i I UNI'T'ED STATES oFF c-s ALBERTA. wI soN, or MINNEAPOLIS, ivrrivnnsozra, assienon or one-HALE TO V ALEXANDER n. ROBERTSON SHOCK ABSORQBING vrnci-mmsiri "Application filed December 29, 1926. Serial Nof 157,698;

jelly invention relates to shock absorbing tached springs S secured to aXlesf A. It will mechanism, and an object is tolprovide an be understood 'that similar springs are used efficient mechanism of this character for use at the ends of both front and rear axles and with automobiles and similar vehicles; It is that similar restraining'm'eans are provided' .5 wellknown that when automobiles which are for each of the. springs. a A clamp secured being driven along a roadway strike bumps to. the axle carriesarod 12 to thefree end of and depressions, the upward movement of-the which the lower'end of'a link 14 is pivotally Vehiclegsprings unless restrained causes a re attached asby means :of a ball and socket bound which is unpleasant for the occupants connection. Theupper end of the link 14 is 10 of'the automobiles, and also sometimes causes pivotally attached as by aball and. socket 60 breakage of thesprings. Before the time of connection to a'crank arm 16 formedon' the. my invention,- in a order to prevent the reouter end'of a; shaft 18'rotatably mounted in bound, it has been customary to employ shock a bearing 20 carried by a' head 22 which is s'e absorbers of the friction type having two cured to one end of a short' cylinder 24 relatively movable members held 'togetherin fastened to the frame member F above the 65 frictional engagement but so far as I am spring S., An annular member 26 is secured. aware, itis broadly new to hold the relatively to the end of the shaft 18 Within the cylinder movable friction members in engagement by 24 while washers 28 and 30 of'fibrous material pressure exerted by a fluid medium. Special such as raybestus are secured to the two opobjects ofmy invention are to provide mechposite facesofthe member26. The closed end anism which operates to produce a shock of the cylinder 24 hasa chamber 32, the innerabsorbing action in connection with 'allfour side of which is constituted by a flexible dia- Wheels from a common source of supply of phragm 34 whose periphery is secured to a fluid in the manner just stated, and to pros shoulder 36 by a ring 38 through which. a

vide meansby which the pressure of the fluid screws 40 are threaded. The wash 3O is 7 can be controlled by the driver asdesired, and adapted to frictionally engage the head 22 also to provide means for indicating the pres. while the washer 28 is adapted to frictionallysure of the -fluid.. engage a disk 42,- the periphery of whichis The full objects and advant'agesof my'inprovided with notches for receiving. screws vention will ppear in connection with the '44 threaded through the wall of the cylinder 80 l detailed description thereof, and the novel so thatthe diSk'flZlS held from rotationand f t f my nventi id Wi be p rti permitted to have a slight sliding movement. larly p t d O t the msv I When the diaphragmis bulged inwardly as In the accompanying drawlngs whi h ill shown in Fig. 4, it applies pressureto the disk trate one form in whlch my invent-ion m y 42. In order that this pressure may be adb }11 il1 d,-- vantageously applied, projections 46 and 48 F g: .1 s a. fragmen ry 1? elevatlonal maybe secured to the centersjofthe disk-and w f n automoblle frame W y shock diaphragmrespectively, these projections be- Q pplled. -F1g. 2 1s a top planvlew ing slightlyseparated from each other by a ball50iwhich fits into recesses in the two projections." A pipe 52 is tapped through the wall of the chamber 321an'd as shown in Fig.

2, this pipeconnects the chambers of the two front'cylinders. The pipe 52 is connected by a pipe-54 with a container 56 secured' to the dash or instrument board D ofthe autoy p v mobile. The container 56 is provided with'a T i lf b m y b o y e plunger 58 having a screwthreaded plunger constru tlon, that ShOWIllIl the dravvlng rod 60-extending throu h a threaded open- 5 lud g fr members to whi h ar a ing in a'cap 62 with which the container is 0 through one of the frictional devices in released CQndition. Fig. 4 is a similar-view but with the frictionaldevices shownin tensioned condition and. partly 'in elevation.

45 Fig. 5 is a view in section on the line5-5 of Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is'a sectional view of a presprovided. The outer end of the rod 60 carries a cross rod or handle 64 by which the rod 60 may be turned by the driver to move the plunger. A pipe 66 extends from the pipe 54 to the rear of the automobile for operating restraining means like that already described in connection with the rear springs. A pipe 68 leads from the pipe 54 to a pressure indicator 7O placed within sight of the driver as for example by being placed on the instrument board.

The operation and advantages of my invention will now be readily understood. It will be understood that the pipe system including the container 56 and the chamber 32 is filled with a fluid and while various fluids will cause the apparatus to operate under certain conditions, I prefer to employ a liquid having a low freezing point such as oil, glycerine, and alcohol solution. Itwill also be understood that a liquid is more responsive to applied pressure than is thecase with a gas such as air. The apparatusmay be r'e'adi-' ly installed in automobiles already in use or may be provided as part of the standard equipment when the automobiles are built. Vhen the plunger 5S'is in its uppermost position, no pressure will be exerted on the diaphragm 34 which will, therefore, occupy the position shown in Fig. 3 with the fiber washers out of frictional engagement with the fixed opposed surfaces so that the shaft 18 may rotate freely with no restraining action exerted on the vehicle springs. Upon turning the handle 64in the proper'direction, the plunger will be moved downwardly and pressure will be transmitted through the fluid to the-diaphragm 34 causing it to bulge inwardly as shown in Fig. 4 and causing the disk 42 and also the annular member 26 secured to the shaft 18 to move 'sufiiciently to bring the washers 28 and 30 into frictional engagement with the disk 42 and the head 22 respectively. The pivotal connection of the crank arm 16 with the link 14 is such that it is not interfered with by the slight sliding movement of the shaft 18. The amount of restraining action produced by thefrictional engagement may be easily varied as desired or even completely relieved by turning the handle 64 in the proper direction while the degree of pressure corresponding to the desired restraining action may be readily observed on the inclicato'r. The shock absorbing effect is'equalized for all four wheels of the vehicle since the pressure is applied uniformly and simultaneously. It is obvious that if the pressure hold ing the frictional members in engagement decreases on account of wear of the parts, this will be indicated on the gauge, and the driver may easily bring the pressure back to the c6lZs'1red amount by a slight turn of the handle I claim 1 A shock absorbing mechanism for vehicles comprising a rod held by an axle of the vehicle, a link pivotally attached at one end to said rod, a cylinder mounted on the frame of the vehicle, a shaft axially disposed with relation to said cylinder and projecting from one end thereof, a crank on the projecting end of said shaft 'pivotally connected to the other end of said link, the inner end of said shaft extending part way only through said cylinder, a disk'member secured to said inner end, a disk member slidably and non-rotatably mounted in said cylinder adjacent said first disk member, a flexible diaphragm spaced from the other end of said cylinder whereby a compartment is formed therein, said diaphragm being disposed adjacent said sli'dable disk member for applying pressure thereto, a source of fluid supply connected to said compartment, and pressure applying means within reach of the driver whereby pressure may be transmitted through said fluid to fle'x said ,cliaphragm.

2. A shock absorbing mechanism for ve-' ber secured to said inner end, a'diskmember slidably and non-rotatably mounted in said cylinder adjacent said first disk member, washers of fibrous material interposed between said disk members and between said first disk member and the head of said cylinder, a flexible diaphragm spaced from the other end of said cylinder whereby a compartment is formed therein, said diaphragm being disposed adjacent said slidable disk member for applying pressure thereto, a source of fluid supply connected to said com partinent, and pressure applying means within reach of the driver. wherebypressure maybe transmitted through said fluid to flex said diaphragm. V w j 3. A shock absorbing mechanism for vehicles comprising a rod held by an axle of the cylinder, a disk member secured to said inner end, a disk member slidably and nonrotatably mounted in said cylinder adjacent said first disk member, a flexible diaphragm spaced from the other'end'of said cylinder whereby a compartment is formed therein,

central projections on said diaphragm and said slidable disk member respectively extending toward each other, said projections containing recesses, a ball fitting into said recesses, a source of fluid supply connected to said compartment, and pressure applying means within reach of the driver whereby pressure may be transmitted through said fluid to flex said diaphragm. I In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

ALBERT A. WILSON. 

